The Kilonova-Chasing Gravitational-Wave Optical Transient Observer is about to be watching the whole sky
Lately, there has been a flood of interest in gravitational waves. After the first official detection at LIGO / Virgo in 2015, data has been coming in showing how common these once theoretical phenomena actually are. Usually they are caused by unimag.....»»
Tunable metasurface can control optical light in space and time, offering path to wireless communication channels
It is a scene many of us are familiar with: You're working on your laptop at the local coffee shop with maybe a half dozen other laptop users—each of you is trying to load websites or stream high-definition videos, and all are craving more bandwidt.....»»
New work sheds light on nonlinear encoding in diffractive optical processors based on linear materials
UCLA researchers have conducted an in-depth analysis of nonlinear information encoding strategies for diffractive optical processors, offering new insights into their performance and utility. Their study, published in Light: Science & Applications, c.....»»
AI-powered optical detection to thwart counterfeit chips
The semiconductor industry has grown into a $500 billion global market over the last 60 years. However, it is grappling with dual challenges: a profound shortage of new chips and a surge of counterfeit chips, introducing substantial risks of malfunct.....»»
Why we find extreme weather so fascinating
When climate change leads the news, it's often down to a hurricane, heat wave or flood. And, judging by our most widely read environment stories over the past decade, extreme weather really is one of the main ways the public (or at least our readers).....»»
Storm Chasers: The Maker Know-How Behind Real Twister Tech
Catching the DIY spirit of storm chasing vehicles and science gadgets during my adventures at the National Storm Chaser Summit. The post Storm Chasers: The Maker Know-How Behind Real Twister Tech appeared first on Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Ma.....»»
New tractor beam technology could one day minimize biopsy trauma
Researchers at TMOS, the ARC Center of Excellence for Transformative Meta-Optical Systems, have taken an important first step in the development of metasurface-enabled tractor beams—rays of light that can pull particles toward it, a concept that fi.....»»
Working to strengthen Pacific Northwest defenses against wildfires and wildfire smoke
In the summer of 2020, wildfire smoke blanketed the city of Portland, Oregon, leading to a prolonged period of poor air quality and health concerns for residents. Subsequently, in 2021 the city experienced a heat wave with temperatures reaching as hi.....»»
New technique to diagnose cancer metastasis uses origami nanoprobes
Johns Hopkins engineers have created a new optical tool that could improve cancer imaging. Their approach, called SPECTRA, uses tiny nanoprobes that light up when they attach to aggressive cancer cells, helping clinicians distinguish between localize.....»»
Engineers build optical elements for the Coronagraph Instrument of the Roman Space Telescope
Engineers and scientists of the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy (MPIA), led by Oliver Krause, developed crucial optical elements for the Coronagraph Instrument (CGI) of the Roman Space Telescope and delivered them to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.....»»
Attributing Canada"s June heat wave to climate change is an important step in adapting to a warmer world
This June saw major heat waves across Canada with peak temperatures—measured over a three-day period—of 7.4°C in eastern Ontario, 10.7°C in southern Québec, 7.2°C in northern Québec and 10.6°C in Atlantic Canada. On June 19, more than 100 l.....»»
Genome recording makes living cells their own historians
Genomes can now be entrusted to store information about a variety of transient biological events inside of living cells, as they happen, like a flight recorder collecting data from an aircraft......»»
New compact camera module for M5 MacBooks expected in 2025
Apple has reportedly commissioned one of its Vietnamese suppliers, Sunny Optical, to provide a new MacBook compact camera module (CCM) from next year. This is likely to be first used in an M5 MacBook Pro in late 2025. It’s a somewhat surprising.....»»
The only way I’d watch live TV with an antenna is on sale this week
The fourth-generation Tablo DVR makes watching over-the-air TV so much better on multiple devices......»»
Watching sports can be good for you—thanks to its social bonding effects
Being a sports fan, whether you're watching top flight football, the Olympic games or your favorite local team, can be a rollercoaster ride. Incredible highs if you win, depressing lows if you don't, and lots of stressful feelings in between......»»
Greece fears water shortages after warmest winter ever
After Greece's warmest winter and earliest heat wave on record, authorities are sounding the alarm over the risk of dire water shortages in the heat of the Mediterranean summer......»»
Neural networks made of light can make machine learning more sustainable
Scientists propose a new way of implementing a neural network with an optical system which could make machine learning more sustainable in the future. The researchers at the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light have published their new metho.....»»
Q&A: Researcher discusses how gravitational waves hint at dark matter and Big Bang mysteries
Gravitational waves, ripples in space-time predicted by Einstein almost a century ago, were detected for the first time in 2015. A new study led by Yanou Cui, an associate professor of physics and astronomy at the University of California, Riverside,.....»»
What do storm chasers really do? Two tornado scientists explain the chase and tools for studying twisters
Storm-chasing for science can be exciting and stressful—we know, because we do it. It has also been essential for developing today's understanding of how tornadoes form and how they behave......»»
Apple has big camera upgrades lined up through iPhone 19 Pro
Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claims to have details about 2024's iPhone 16 Pro range, and how optical zoom will keep improving up to 2027's iPhone 19 Pro.Render of the iPhone 16 Pro and its camera systemCurrently, only the iPhone 15 Pro Max features a tetrap.....»»
iPhone 16 Pro to get same 5x zoom camera as Pro Max, bigger upgrades next year
The tetraprism camera available in the 6.7-inch iPhone 15 Pro Max offers up to 5x optical zoom for the telephoto lens. The smaller 6.1-inch iPhone 15 Pro did not get this upgrade, retaining its 3x zoom. However, both the upcoming 2024 iPhone 16 Pr.....»»